487 



clasp the tree with some degree of ease, and was then soon at the first branch. The nest was 

 placed nearly at the end of a stout limb at the top of the tree, and I had to rest several times 

 before I reached it, but on doing so was delighted to find that it contained two eggs. These I 

 carefully packed in a box that I carried fastened behind me to my belt, and, sitting down in the 

 nest itself, proceeded to take notes ; for I always make it a rule to take up my pencil and note- 

 book with me. 



" The nest was firmly placed between three branches, was built entirely of thin sticks, twigs, 

 and some dead bramble-branches, and was lined to the depth of about 2 inches with fresh green 

 leaves off the tree itself. These must have been plucked that same morning ; for some, which I 

 put into my collecting-box, were quite hard and dry in the evening. This puzzled me not a 

 little ; for it looks as if the bird relined the nest every morning, as the leaves would not remain 

 fresh over the day. In diameter the nest was two spans and a knuckle (19 J inches) outside, and 

 just one span (9j) inside, not much depressed inside, and rather bulkily built. In the foundation 

 of the nest itself were two nests of Passer hispaniolensis, neither of which, however, contained 

 eggs, the one being only half finished. 



" In the branches close to the Eagle's nest were several more Sparrows' nests ; and in a 

 rotten limb a few feet below was a new nest of Pious minor, and close to it an old nest of the 

 same bird. 



"The eggs of Aquila pennata, which now are (with the exception of the nest-stains) pure 

 white, were, when quite fresh, white with a faint greenish tinge. In shape and size they much 

 resemble the eggs of Astur palumbarius ; but the shell is somewhat more coarse-grained. The 

 above-mentioned eggs were quite fresh, one of them having probably been laid the previous day. 



" After walking along the river-side for nearly an hour, and finding three nests of Milvus 

 migrans and two of Milvus regalis, we saw, in a huge old white elm tree overhanging the river, 

 a nest which Manuel assured me was that of a Booted Eagle, and which he thought probable 

 might contain something. We pelted the nest for some time, but no bird left it ; and getting 

 tired of pelting, I at last fired a charge of dust-shot at the nest, with, however, no effect beyond 

 that of driving out several Sparrows, which evidently had nests in its foundation. I therefore 

 concluded that there was no bird on the nest, and proposed that we should search further ; but 

 Manuel refused, saying that he thought it worth while to climb up to the nest, it being his turn. 



" The tree was so bulky that he could not climb up the trunk ; but with my assistance li3 

 managed to reach the first branch, which was not far from the ground. Here he was again 

 unable to climb up the trunk, and had to go to the end of a branch, and pulling down the 

 branches above dragged himself up by them. However, to cut matters short, he succeeded after 

 some time in climbing to the limb on which the nest was placed, and then, to my great astonish- 

 ment, out flew the Eagle, which had sat quiet during the whole time we had pelted and fired at 

 the nest. 



"Manuel soon reached the nest, and reported that it contained two eggs, and in structure 

 &c. was similar to the last nest, being also lined with fresh green leaves off the same tree in 

 which the nest was placed, some of which he threw down for me to examine. Just below, in a 

 hollow hole, was a nest of Strix flammea ; but Manuel could not get at it. The old bird flew 

 out, and I shot it. 



